Electrical cigar or cigarette lighter



June 26, 1951 JONES 2,558,441

ELECTRICAL CIGAR OR CIGARETTE LIGHTER Fliled March 14, 1950 Fig.

Benjamin I Jones INVENTOR.

Patented June 26, 1951 ELECTRICAL CIGAR OR CIGARETTE LIGHTER Benjamin T. Jones, Miami, Fla., assignor to Aeromar, Inc., Miami, Fla., a corporation of Florida Application March 14, 1950, Serial No. 149,575

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to electrical cigar or cigarette lighters of the type including a housing having spaced contacts therein, and a lighter member removably positioned in the housing and having an incandescent wire at its inner end provided with spaced terminals adapted to be engaged with said contacts for causing said incandescent wire to be heated upon pressing said lighter member inwardly of the housing.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a lighter of the above type which is adapted to use the relatively high voltage current of a house wiring system without danger of readily burning out the incandescent wire, and which may be made relatively small and manufactured at a relatively low cost.

In accordance with the present invention, a resistance element is included in the lighter circuit in series with the incandescent wire, said resistance element being such that the voltage drop across the same is much greater than that across the incandescent wire. The resistance element may be carried by the lighter member and connected at one end to one of its terminals and at the other end to an end of the incandescent wire whose other end is connected to the other terminal of the lighter member. Current for the lighter is derived from the house wiring system by means of an attachment cord whose wires may be connected at one end of the cord to the housing contacts and at the other end of the cord to a plug connector adapted for reception in an outlet receptacle of the wiring system.

Other objects and features'of the invention will be apparent from the following description when considered with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing a lighter embodying the present invention mounted in a support.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the lighter member, looking at the inner end thereof.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of resistance wire and incandescent wire unit for the lighter member.

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 indicates a support which may be the hollow base or stand of an ash tray. This support has an opening 6 in which is fitted and secured the outer or upper end of the insulating housing 7 of the present lighter. The housing 1 carries within its inner or lower end spaced contacts 8 and 8' to which are connected the wires of an attachment cord 9 provided with a plug connector ID.

The lighter also embodies a lighter member II which is removably fitted in the housing I and includes an insulating body l2 having a knob l3 attached to the outer or upper end thereof and formed with a central recess or socket I4 which opens through the inner or lower end thereof. Removably mounted in the recess I 4, as at M, is a unit A which carries a resistance element l5 and an incandescent wire l6 which are connected in series. The wire 16 is provided at the inner end of member II, and the same is true of spaced terminals I! and 11', which are adapted to be moved into engagement with the contacts 8 and 8', by pressing the member l l inwardly of the housing I, to heat the wire l6. One end of resistance element I5 is connected to terminal ll, and one end of wire it is connected to terminal ll, the other ends of element I5 and wire l6 being connected to each other. In the form of Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, the unit A includes an insulating body It having the wire it set in its inner end, the element l5 comprising a wire helically wound about said body [8.

Spring means is provided to normally yieldingly hold the lighter member in a partially withdrawn position relative to the housing, with the terminals H and I? disengaged from the contacts 8 and 8 so that the lighter circuit is open. This means may consist of a disk l9 secured between the body 12 and the knob l3 and having radial resilient fingers 2B engaging the outer end of housing l. The element !5 is such that the voltage drop across the same is much greater than that across the wire It, so that the latter will not readily burn out when the lighter is operated on the relatively high voltage current of a house wiring system. It will be seen that the lighter may be made small and compact and manufactured at a relatively low cost. Also, it will operate efficiently without the use of a troublesome or costly voltage regulator or step-down transformer.

In use, the lighter member is pressed inwardly to heat the wire I6, whereupon the pressure is released and the lighter member is removed from the housing to light a cigar or cigarette in a manner generally well known in the art in connection with lighters commonly used in automobiles but operated on relatively low voltage battery current.

In the modification of Figures 4 and 5, the unit A includes a resistance element l5 which is contained within and insulated as at 2! from a metallic casing 22 along with the incandescent wire lfif. The wire it is a .fiat volute coil or coiled wire disposed close to the bottom wall of casing 22 for heating and rendering the latter incandescent. The casing is adapted at M for mounting in the recess Id of body l2, and the terminals l1 and H are insulated from-sai-d casing.

From the foregoing description, the construction, operation and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Changes in construction and other modifications are contemplated within the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having described theiinvention, what is claimed as new is:

An electrical cigar ,or cigarette lighter comprising an insulating housing having spaced contacts therein, a lighter member removably positioned in the housing and having an incandescent wire and spaced terminals at its inner end,

said terminals being engageable with said contacts/for causing the incandescent wire to be heated when the lighter member is pressed inwardly of the housing, .yieldable means normally holding the lighter member positioned with the terminals out of engagement with the contacts,

.anattachment cordv connected to the contacts for supplying current thereto from a house wiring .system, and a resistance element connected in.

series with the incandescent wire, said resistance element being of greater electrical resistance than said incandescent wire so that the voltage drop across the same is much greater than that 5 across the incandescent wire, said lighter member including an insulating body having a recess which opens through its .innerend, .and a unit removably mounted in i-said recess and carrying the resistance element, the incandescent wire and '10 the terminals, said unit including a metallic casing having the resistance element and the in.- candescent .wire disposed therein and insulated therefrom, the incandescent wire being disposed adjacent the bottom of the casing for heating 15 the latter.

BENJAMIN T. JONES.

20 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 'Date 496,103 Smith Apr. 25, 1893 .497,404 Carstarphen May 16, 1893 1,417,422 Struben May 23,1922 1,639,258 Cohen Aug. 16, 1927 2,052,016 Davis .-Aug. 25, 1936 2,381,726 Davis Aug. 7, 1945 2,386,168 Pattberg 'Oct.12, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 35 461,579

Great Britain Feb. 19, 1937 

